Well, I’m early this week with a very non-romantic Valentine Day list of music but I think they’re some great Australia records, see what you think? We’re finally finishing all the letter “F” albums for Wednesday morning, I might try a couple of these posts per week. Well, we’ll see how it goes? Anyway got some late 70’s/early 80’s Punk, one of the biggest mainstream Aussie act of the 90’s with their most likely heaviest album, one Indie Rock of late 90’s which sub-style would be Downtempo, another one Indie Rock from late 2000’s which are a bit Folksy and at times bit Experimental and ending with kind-of Indie Synth-pop of 2010’s. Please follow me down if wanna know more?
Freak Show by Silverchair (1997)
Starting today with the mega act of the five and NOT sorry to all chair fans out there, I didn’t put all their albums in my top Aussie albums list like some others have done in the past but if you wanna know? This is my all-time favorite Silverchair album, yeah I know it’s their problematic second album. After years trying to figure it out but I don’t know why I really love this one but I guess, I just enjoy so much better than all the other ones released by them like was saying in the intro above it’s their heaviest and most likely angriest tooo. Did reached number 1 in the Australian charts but missed out at the 1997 ARIA Music Award for Best Group, losing to Savage Garden. Kind-of more recently in that Aussie Rolling Stone mag’s 200 Greatest Aussie albums this LP was placed at number 46. Anyway the more mellow but still intense Cemetery was my fave of all the songs that had video clips:
The Door if you’ll like to know? Is my fave track:
- Slave – 3:57
- Freak – 3:49
- Abuse Me – 4:03
- Lie To Me – 1:22
- No Association – 3:56
- Cemetery – 4:04
- The Door – 3:37
- Pop Song For Us Rejects – 3:15
- Learn To Hate – 4:19
- Petrol & Chlorine – 3:59
- Roses – 3:34
- Nobody Came – 6:11
- The Closing – 3:25
Flight Paths by The Paradise Motel (1998)
They formed in Hobart, Tasmania in the early 1990s before relocating to Melbourne in 1995 where they found their new lead singer Merida Sussex who was working in the St Kilda Public Library. The band did a couple of albums there which this one is their second before relocated again, this time to London though did not record again anything after their relocation and then quietly broke up in 2000. The band reunited late 2000’s and releasing three more albums all in the 2010’s. Yet another totally under-rated Aussie band on my 200 list, also include their debut album on this list but more about that later. Bookish front cover artwork is kind-of tribute to Penguin Books’ 20th century classics covers is yet another reason I love them. The video/single was Drive is a cover was written by Ric Ocasek and originally done by The Cars but sounding nothing like them now:
Derwent River Star is my fave song from this album:
- Aeroplanes – 4:52
- Derwent River Star – 3:00
- BH Rock – 3:17
- Daniel – 6:46
- Four Degrees – 3:14
- Other Things – 2:55
- Cities – 4:57
- Dead Beats – 4:43
- Drive – 4:30
- Hollywood Landmines – 4:12
- The Trees – 3:37
- Heavy Weather – 4:03
The First Dance by Bridezilla (2009)
This is yet another debut but it’s their one and only album. Singer/songwriter Holiday Sidewinder has gone on to maybe, possibly more successful as an indie pop solo artist but maybe you’ve never heard of her tooo? I have big soft spot for their album, if you wanna know? At the time this album came and when even with mostly positive reviews but that didn’t really help with sales so I guess, leading to their break-up and since then no-one seems to remember them or this album? Maybe only a few fans like me are still listening to them so off course I’ve gotta put it in my 200 Aussie album list to once again champion the under-rated artists which I seem to do a lot on my blog. Anyway have listen and see what you think? At the time of release the one and only video clip was for the Western Front song:
My fave has to be Forth & Fine was also was released as double A-side 7″ single with Dirty Three’s Mick Turner and Jim White side-project Tren Brothers, that’s a Turner’s painting as the cover artwork:
- Lunar Eclipse – 3:09
- Beaches – 2:25
- Queen Of Hearts – 2:56
- Speaking To Soft Toys – 2:38
- Tailback – 2:19
- Shipping Man – 2:38
- Heart You Hold – 5:02
- Soft Porn – 4:07
- Magnetic Arrest – 3:46
- Lottery Tickets – 3:16
- Western Front – 2:35
- Forth & Fine – 3:20
- White Feather – 2:33
- The Last Dance – 3:00
From Broadway To Blazes by Mankins (2017)
Some bright spark from a some record label in America put all their late 70’s/early 80’s songs on one reissue comp album which was only a few years ago. So it’s yet another one that shouldn’t really be mixed into where it is but I’m going on this reissue release date and it’s the one I’ve got, maybe should have figure out the original release for my list but it’s the easiest way to get these older bands plus it seems I love reissues. Anyway my 200 Aussie albums list sometimes are mixes up and a bit out of context. Anyway yet another Punk band and yet another Perth, W.A. act I’ve included. Some debate has raged over the years who was the very first real Perth Punk band, Mankins are one of them and depending who you believe could the very first. They’re way more Pop Punk and that’s before any of the other Aussie bands were doing that and for that matter the English and Americans were doing it tooo! Their most popular 7″ single didn’t have video was I Never Thought I’d Find Someone Who Could Be So Kind:
My own personal fave by them is Life In A Microwave:
1. I Never Thought I’d Find Someone Who Could Be So Kind – 3:12
2. Radio World – 3:14
3. Premonition – 3:44
4. Laugh Too Loud – 2:39
5. Love At Second Sight – 2:44
6. Nuisance – 3:11
7. All I Care About – 3:29
8. Popularity – 2:53
9. Whiz Kid – 3:19
10. Girl Friday – 3:23
11. Mean To Me – 3:23
12. Hit And Run – 2:40
13. Street Treat – 2:02
14. Please Some People – 2:58
15. Cancelled Eyes – 2:29
16. Too Much Money – 2:21
17. Young And Restless – 2:34
18. Modern Girls – 2:51
19. Without You (Wasting Time) – 3:06
20. Talk Talk – 3:05
21. Losing Touch – 3:10
22. Centre Of Pride #2 – 2:37
23. Joy To The World – 3:20
24. Life In A Microwave – 3:01
25. Wonder Drug – 4:04
26. Goodnight – 3:38
Forced Witness by Alex Cameron (2017)
Last one of these five is Alex’s second solo studio album but Cameron who was pervious in electronica act Seekae who had three albums before he when solo. This album was co-produced by Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado and includes duet a with Angel Olsen plus The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers guests on it. That same year Cameron co-wrote five tracks on The Killers’ fifth studio album and supporting The Killers on their UK and US arena tour, you know? Also he started dating America actress Jemima Kirke around this time too, after she become a fan of his debut album Jumping the Shark and she has stars and directed some of his video clips. Alex writes his greatest lyrics ever here and does have the very most perfect Indie pop sometimes rock sound but a lot of heavy synth plus so much sax and sax solos from his so-called “business partner” Roy Molloy. Candy May is the opening song and was the lead single/video:
Country Figs is the following track on the album and I think, my most fave:
- Candy May – 4:08
- Country Figs – 4:11
- Runnin’ Outta Luck – 3:51
- Stranger’s Kiss – 4:01
- True Lies – 3:52
- Studmuffin96 – 3:15
- The Chihuahua – 4:06
- The Hacienda – 4:31
- Marlon Brando – 4:44
- Politics of Love – 4:31
Well, that’s all letter “F” album done and dusted so what the next letter in the alphabet again?
Cheers! 🙂
a1000mistakes 
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